Hydraulic press for making hats.



W. H. ROBSON.

HYDRAULIC PRESS FOR MAKING HATS.

APPLICATION min FEB. l0. |915.

1,149,784. PatentedAug. 10, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. H. ROBSON.

' HYDRAULIC PRESS FOR MAKING HATS.

*APPLlcATIoN FILED FEB. 10. 1915.

1,149,784.. l Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Iman/tom MQ yimosmA, Wwwweee I e 7 lo 4 I RWM W. H. ROBSON.

HYDRAULIC PRESS FOR MAKING HATS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. lo, 1915.

1,149,784. Patented Aug. 1o, 1915.

. 3 .SHEETS-SHEET s.

Wi/immo gwawwa independent of the ring.

pivrTEn sTATEs PATENT oEErcE.

WILLIAM I-I. ROBSON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO BRIGHAM-HOPKINS COMPANY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, Av CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

y HYDRAULIC rEEss Eon MAKING HATS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 10, 1915,

Application filed February 10, 19175. Serial No. 7,420.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM-H. RoBsoN, a citizen of the rUnited States, residing in Baltimore city and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic' Presses for Making I-Iats; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which forma part of this specification.

This invention'relates to new and useful improvements in hydraulic presses for making straw hats and the object vin view is to produce an apparatus of this nature so constructed that pressure may be given to the crown only. v

Heretofore, in the manufacture of hats by the use of hydraulic presses, the pressure is applied equallyto the crown and brim, giving the brim a degree of pressure which is detrimental.

More specifically, the present invention consists in the provision of an interchangeable ring adapting the apparatus for use in making hats of .various sizes and in the provision of adjustable means providing for different thicknesses of braid and thicknesses of brim. y

The invention consists further in various details of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts which will be hereinafter fully described, shown in the accompanyiug drawings and then speciically defined in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the press showing the parts in their pressing relation. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is *a central sectional view showing the parts assembled. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of oneof the adjustable rings vand holder therefor.v Fig. 5 is a central sectional view through Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a top plan View of one ofthe adjustable rings. Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line7-7 yof Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the holder Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view through a portion of the adjustable ring, and Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on line 10-10 of Fig. 4.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by numeral, 1 designate vertical guide posts of the apparatus, forming a part of the frame, the -lower portion being broken away, and 2 designates the lower movable steam chest having arms 3 which are apertured andfhave .a vertical play upon the rods or posts 1. Collars 4yare mounted upon threaded portions 5 of said posts and y 'mormted in the chambered portion of the steam chest and surrounds the die 7. Mounted to have a longitudinal movement within the plunger rod 6 is a pin 10 which, whendriven longitudinally in any manner against the die block, serves as a means for loosening the same from the chamber when it is desired to remove it for any purpose.

To the upper ends of the posts 1 is fas- Y tened the spider yoke 11 having apertures for the reception -of the posts and tightening screws 12 serve to hold said yoke in place, in coperation with the nuts 13 mounted upon the threaded ends of the posts.

An adjustable head 14 has, apertures *i therein for the receptionof the posts 1, and 15 is :a screw having a head .ljatjits lower end which has swiveled connection with a flanged coupling 17 fastened by means of the bolts 18 to said head, said screw engaging interiorly formed threads of the collar 18 which has a flange at its lower end secured by means of the bolts 20 to said yoke, and a hand wheel 21 is secured to the screw 15 forming a convenient means for turning the screw to adjust the head to operate' in connection with different thicknesses of braid being utilized in the manufacture of the hat. Said head is provided with apertures 22 with which pipes 23 communicate and through which water under pressure is admitted into the presser bag 24C, preferably of rubber, and 25 designate exhaust ports which have pipes 26 leading therefrom. An interiorly shouldered ring 27 is held to the head by means of the bolts 28 and, 29 designates an interchangeable ring, the opening in which conforms to a particular size of hat adapted to be formed. Said ring 27 has a recess 27 formed therein, in which a threaded lug 27X is mounted, carrying a spring-pressed bolt 27Y, which is adapted to engage a recess 29 formed in the circumference of the interchangeable ring 29 and which bolt is provided for the purpose of centering the ring. Thumb bolts 30 are mounted in threaded portions of the holder ring and their inner ends are adapted to engage bushings 30x formed in the circumference of the ring and serve to securely hold the latter in place.

The marginal edge of the opening in the interchangeable ring, it will be noted, is 1nclined and against which the presser bag 24 contacts, the marginal edgey of the bag being clamped securely intermediate the upper surface of the carrier member 27 and said interchangeable ring 29.

The hat to be pressed by the apparatus is designated by numeral 31 and which is placed in the die in the manner shown with the rim resting upon the flange 8 of the die, after which a shaping die 32, preferably of rubber or other suitable material, is placed within the hat in the manner shown. A flanged felt jacket, designated by numeral 30, is placed upon the brim and extending into the crown of the hat, the said jacket being provided to prevent the hydraulic pressure applied to the bag from coming in contact with the brim and preventing lateral pressure at the joint intermediate the ring and the brim of a hat, the portion of the jacket which enters the crown being adapted to contact with the inner circumference thereof, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 3.

In operation, the steam chest is elevated to its highest position, limited by the collars 4, after which the head is adjusted by turning the hand wheel 21 to adapt the apparatus to the thickness of the brim, an interchangeable ring for the size of the hat to be pressed iirst being adjusted in place in the manner shown in Fig. 1, the ba being clamped intermediate the ring ancgl holder member 27. The hat to be pressed is inserted in the chambered portion of the die 7, the felt jacket inserted in the hat and resting against the brim, after which the die block 32 is inserted in the hat in the position shown in the drawings, and after which the lower steam chest is elevated in any suitable manner, not shown, from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that illustrated in Fig. 1 and which will apply the requisite pressure to properly shape the brim, it being understood that only a slight pressure is desired for this purpose, whereas a considerable pressure 1s afterward applied by hydraulic means to the crown.

Vhen the steam chest reaches its upper limit, a tight joint is effected intermediate the interchangeable ring, felt jacket and brim of the hat, after which hydraulic pressure is applied through the pipes 23 to the interior of the bag 24, causing the same to force the die 32 against the crown of the hat, shaping the top thereof, while the circumference of the crown is compressed intermediate the bag and the die 7. It will be noted that he hydraulic pressure is exerted only against the crown, while a slight pressure which it is desired to apply to the brim is caused by the upper movement of the lower steam chest as described.

After the hydraulic pressure has been applied to the crown of the hat for the requisite length of time, the pressure is relieved by opening the valves to allow the pressure to exhaust through the pipe 26, after which, by lowering the steam chest, -the bag will withdraw from the hat and the latter may be readily removed from the die block 7 without the brim or crown adhering to the die block which has frequently been a trouble encountered in the form of presses at present in use in which the hydraulic pressure is applied equally to the crown and the brim to the detriment of the latter, making it necessary to treat the hat further to produce a proper form of brim.

What I claim to be new is 1. A hydraulic press for making straw hats, comprising an adjustable head, an interchangeable ring carried by the latter, a die block coperating with said ring to regulate the pressure to be applied to the brim, and hydraulically operated means for applying excessive pressure to the crown independent of the pressure applied to the brim.

2. A hydraulic press for making straw hats, comprising an adjustable head, an interchangeable ring carried by the latter, a die block adapted to receive a hat and provided with a flange upon which the brim is adapted to rest, a felt jacket adapted to rest upon the flange of the die block and `having a flange about its inner marginal edge adapted to extend into the die block, and hydraulic means for applying an excessive pressure to the crown independent of the pressure applied to the brim by said ring and die block.

3. A hydraulic press for making straw hats, comprising an adjustable head, adjusting screws mounted thereon, a holding ring engaged `by said screws, a hat ring shouldered to engage the shoulder of said holding ring, a hydraulic distensible bag clamped by brim against hydraulic pressure which is 10 said rings against the head, a anged die exerted against the crown of the hat.

block adapted to receive the crown of a hat In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my and proiffideloll with a lalflgle up? wiich th signature in presence of two witnesses.

crown o a at rests, a e t jac et esigne to rest upon the brim of a hat and having WILLIAM H ROBSON a flange at its inner marginal edge entering Witnesses:

the die block against which said bag is JAS. D. HULL, adapted to be distended and protecting the WM. A. ROGAN.

Copies of this patent may 'be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing` the Commissioner o; I aents? Washington,:D..G.." 

